Anchor Bay High School coach placed on leave amid Title IX investigation

FAIR HAVEN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Friday night's football game against Eisenhower High School was a loss for Anchor Bay High School – a team that's also missing its head football coach, Mike Giannone.

"He came home and basically said that Coach G was on leave and not even the athletic director knew why. It happened so quick," a concerned parent said.

The parent who spoke with FOX 2 asked to remain anonymous. They said the athletic director made the announcement to the football players last week that Giannone had been placed on administrative leave.

"They brought all the boys in before practice. The athletic director and the other coaches all came up and got them all and basically told them that Coach G is under investigation – something about Title IX," the parent said.

Mike Giannone (Anchor Bay Athletics)

Giannone is also a physical education teacher. 

Sources told FOX 2 he is under investigation for trying to enforce a dress code because a female student's clothing was too revealing for gym class.

The Anchor Bay School District said the coach was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 18 but did not give further details to respect the privacy of those involved. Since this is a personnel matter, no further information will be released at this time.

In 2018, Giannone was inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

But the coach is no stranger to controversy. He was fired from De La Salle Collegiate in Warren in 2019 after some of his players were accused of hazing younger players. 

Now at Anchor Bay for three seasons, the parent said the players are committed to uniting behind their coach.

"Solidarity. I think they're all united with Coach G," the parent told FOX 2. "They all wore shirts underneath their pads at last week's game against Eisenhower; the T-shirts said ‘Free G’ on them."

The district said it is not clear how long the investigation will take.